College Students, how do you protect your notebooks?

Hey guys,

I just ordered the P-172X FX from Gateway. It's gonna be my college rig. I'm planning on having it last me 4-5 years and have taken the appropriate steps to having it do so, including getting the extended warranty + accidental damage and buying a kensington lock and LoJack.

Still, it's no substitute for experience. You guys in college right now, what do you do to protect your notebooks from theft? I realize that anything you do is circumventable, but I'd like to know if you have any tips for what to do in any situation. For example, things like leaving your room to go to the bathroom, or where to leave it overnight, what to do with it while playing sports or doing another activity where you can't have it with you.

Thanks, and I'm looking forward to reading any and all replies.

P.S. I know this doesn't relate to hardware... I Pm'd Greg and asked where I should post this thread and this is where he suggested.

 

well, with all of that security on it, i doubt u wud even need to keep ur laptop from getting stolen but i would guess not leaving it in plain sight and keeping it in a bag that doesn't scream THERE IS A EXPENSIVE LAPTOP IN HERE ! STEAL IT NOW!

 

Always keep an eye on your laptop, never let anyone else use it, get a laptop lock and oh yeah get a 3yr account for computrace.

Then just maybe you will be safe. The most you can do to protect it is on your shoulders. You take care of it and never let it out of sight and you will be fine.

K-TRON

 

-another tip, is not to fully trust your lock you use with your laptop, not to put you down, but always keep an eye on it, its much more safe if you keep tabs on it. all locks can be broken, so dont rely on it fully
-or if you have a car, dont keep it in plain site, put it in the trunk or something and lock it to like a tire, one of my mothers friends had something important in her car (her car was locked as well), took her car to a park, left it to play with her family, came back, car was busted into, everything of value stolen, i dont know all the details but if someone wants to steal something they can do it.
-or even when your with your dorm roomate and you step out and ask him to watch your laptop, i dont really recommend that, as he could leave it for just a moment, and bam... its gone!
-whenever your using your laptop in public places like a restuarant with wifi, always have your back facing a wall and not a window, as someone could peep on your business and even snatch a password into their memory with just a glance.
-if your not using your computer always turn it off,put it on standby, or even lock it down, wouldn't want to leave a house door open for people to come right?
-hmm if you ever are taking it with you, you dont have to tell anyone you have your laptop as well, i mean like dont make it obvious that you have a valuables on you as you cant trust anyone in this world
-lets say you were in a hotel room, dont leave you laptop lying on the bed or a desk, stick it in a drawer, or a cupboard (if it wont cause your laptop any harm)
-a laptop isn't quite the best thing to let someone borrow unless you really, i mean reallllly know them and they could pay for it if they break it or lose it

 

If you're really concerned about your laptop getting stolen, you might want to consider Safeguard insurance ( http://www.safeware.com/), which covers theft, among others. I personally never dealt with them, but I found out about them through a Sager reseller.

 

I'm guessing you're staying in a dorm? I can't give any advice there as I have never been a dorm dweller. However when it comes to public places throughout the school, there is no preventative measure better than your own senses. Never let your laptop (or any of your possessions for that matter) leave your side. If you're in the library and you go to pick up a paper you just printed off, bring the laptop with you! It's those quick moments you look away when havoc will strike.

 

If it's in your room at college it's pretty safe. It all depends on how well you can trust your roommate to lock the door and not let strangers in. If you live in a single, well then you have no worries.

 

If you meant life,keep it cool and clean it.

For security keep it in sight as much as possible and keep it locked when away.

 

Thank you all for the tips. If you have any more, please let me know. Do you think I'll be ok leaving it in a dresser in my dorm room (probably double) while I go play intramural soccer or something?

Also, what do you think of this notebook lock? Has anyone had any experience with it?

Thank you all for the advice.

 

use a really inconspicuous bag as well as a notebook sleeve.

dont use expensive carrying cases., always keep your notebook within arms reach and where you can see it. dont leave it under your table.

yeah also shoulder bags are better than backpacks because you can see the opening of the bag. unlike a backpack. really good luck

thats pretty big for a college notebook especially since youl be moving around.

im using my 14 inch gateway over my dell 1500.

 

set a BIOS password on it.

set encryption on it.

get some invisible ink to mark it (under it or inside the panels), so if it gets stolen you can identify it with a blacklight.

...or get a fully custom paintjob with your name on the paint... it would be near impossible to not be identified if stolen.

 

I always locked my dorm room when nobody was there, even when I was down the hall. I had a Kensington lock but didn't trust it. I also had lojack installed, but forgot to reinstall it after I wiped the computer. Just don't leave it anywhere people are.

We used to teach people lessons who left their doors unlocked/open and left. We hid their laptops in draws in their own room and let them believe it was stolen for a couple of minutes. Good way to get people to start locking their door.

 

lol good way to teach em dmac

 

This thread is interesting, I plan on living with some people I will rent a home with in September @ college, lots of good advice

That sounds really strange initially, but yeah, I understand it only takes a moment.

 

Thanks again for all the tips. Would you say the kensington microsaver DS is the best lock available at this time? It's not a combo lock and it's flat so you can't do the ballpoint pen trick... would it be the one to go with?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7x1aic74Mg. This. Now think how much more effective it would be with a laptop